Why Customers Are Your Number One Priority

Customers are the backbone of any business. No matter what your product is, if you don’t have customers, nobody is going to buy it. For some businesses, customers are always right. Companies strive to keep clients satisfied to keep their loyalty. However, there are businesses that do not know why customers are important. Here are reasons why your customers should always be your number 1 priority.

No Business

Let’s say that your product is paradigm shifting and can solve many problems. This is obviously cool but if you don’t have customers to patronize your product, you don’t have a business. This is why customers are very important. Businesses exist to provide products or service to consumers. Businesses provide and customers consume. This is the circle of every business on the planet. Prioritize your customers, learn what they want and what they like about your product to keep the circle unbroken.

Help You Improve

Customers can help you improve. By listening to customer feedback and suggestions, you can take your product or service to the next level. You can make it better. While many companies depend on the R&D department to tweak products, there is no better information than data coming from the people that actually use your product on a regular basis. By listening to what customers want, you can improve your product so that it constantly evolves and becomes better each time.

More Customers

Loyal customers can make your business boom by recruiting potential customers. There is no better way to measure success by having loyal customers raving about your product to other people. By prioritizing what your customers want, they establish a relationship with you and begin to trust your product. When you gain their trust, they will recommend you to other people.

Quality Feedback

The end user is always the best source for feedback. You can have this by prioritizing your customer and engaging them. Having a clear route where to get good feedback and then analyzing it allows you to respond better and build a network with your customer base. Engaging with customers can help increase your ROI, improve relationship and boost sales.

Make You Rich

Prioritizing customers can make you rich. How? Customers buy from you and trust your brand. They recommend you to other people, thereby expanding your customer base. The more people that buy from you, the more potential for profit. In most cases, more profit means more money lining your pockets.

Prioritizing customers is a sound marketing plan. Ensuring that your customers are happy is important if you want your business to be successful. Customers are a good and vital starting point so take action that will drive your business forward.

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10 Freelancing Benefits

Freelancing offers flexibility and freedom compared to a regular desk job. Freelancers have the freedom of choice with regards to when they work, where they work, whom to work for and the type of work to be done. Freelancing enables workers to find a job that suits their individual strengths and weaknesses. The flexibility and freedoms have a lot of benefits. Here are other benefits you might not realize.

Workload Control

Freelancers have the freedom to take as much or a little work as they want at any point in time. One of the best things about being a freelancer is the ability to say when enough is enough. If you have too many clients and can’t handle their demands or the stress, you can simply drop a couple. If you need more jobs for financial reasons then you can always find other clients that need work done.

Better Health

Being able to control your workload can lead to better health. According to studies conducted by Kansas State University, people who worked more than 50 hours per week suffered from decreased physical and mental health.

Freelancers also work from home and interact with clients and colleagues over the internet while people in traditional workplaces work in cubicles. A Danish research found that the more people working in a room together, the more likely people are going to get sick. Working at home prevents freelancers from being exposed to a work bug. Turns out, being a freelancer can lead to a healthier you.

Gain Skills

Freelancers are able to gain new skills from their experience working in different fields. Even if you do not have the skills yet, there are companies and employers who are willing to train new employees. This can be useful to freelancers because it enables them to put something new to their resume while learning something that can be used for future projects.

Work Relationship Control

When you’re working remotely, you have the power to control workplace interaction and relationships. Some freelancers only need to check their emails 2-3 times a day to keep track of what they need to do or check what other co-workers are doing. As it turns out, checking your email infrequently leads to less stress according to a study conducted by the University of British Columbia. This is because in many work environments, ignoring an email is like ignoring your boss. As a freelancer, checking your email less can help reduce stress.

Exercise

Many people who work in a traditional work environment find it hard to squeeze time to workout or exercise. They do not have this problem with freelancing because they can work when they want to which means they can exercise whenever they want even during the middle of the day. As it turns out, working out in the afternoon has benefits. During this time, your lungs work better and your physical performance is in its highest, muscle strength is also at its peak while risk to injury is at its lowest.

Your Own Boss

If you have a client that you don’t like, you can drop him or her when your contract ends. Freelancers are their own bosses and have the power to avoid working with somebody that they don’t like.

No Commute

Most Freelancers work remotely from their home or even while on vacation. This means that they can avoid the daily commute to work. Avoiding traffic helps reduce stress even before you get to the workplace.

Network

Freelancers have a chance to work with different people in different cultures across the globe. They have a chance to nurture relationships, whether it is personal or professional, to help expand their network. Building a network can help boost reputation and make future contracts.

Travel

As stated above, the ability to work remotely means that you can work anywhere in the world. You can travel while you work or make travel your work. You are not tied down to the office and can take as many vacations as you want.

Engagement

Many people who are working the same job year after year find that they are losing interest in what they are doing. Freelancers have the flexibility to move from one field to another depending on their skill set and what they learn while working for different companies. This means that they are able to grow their knowledge and skills to keep their job interesting and more engaging.

Being a freelancer can be fulfilling especially if you are self motivated and like to work alone. Freelancing also allows for better life-work balance which is important to keep you happy and satisfied with your job.

10 Best Industries To Start a Business Now

With so many students competing for a limited number of positions available in the workplace, many fresh graduates are now underemployed or unemployed. Situations like this can be problematic for young graduates because many of them have student loans that need to be paid as soon as possible. One of the best solutions for fresh grads is to become entrepreneurs. Here are some of the best industries to start businesses.

1. Meditation and Mindfulness Training

Many industries are spending money for their employees to take meditation and mindfulness training. These types of training involve bringing attention to the internal and external experiences occurring in the present through meditation. Employees who practice mindfulness are less stressed, feel better and enjoy life more.

2. Accounting, Tax Preparation and Bookkeeping

All companies require proper accounting, bookkeeping and need help with tax preparation which is why this industry is always looking for individuals to fill this role. No matter how well the economy is growing or how good a business is performing, good accountants are always needed.

3. Ready to Drink Coffee and Tea

The on-the-go lifestyles of many employees are the fuel of the ready to drink coffee and tea industry. Most people today want everything instantly and this includes their beverages. According to Specialty Food Association, sales of these types of drinks have tripled to $143 million annually since 2012.

4. Real Estate

Yes, it’s true that the real estate industry is dependent on the economy. However, the overhead cost of becoming a real estate agent is small. All you need is a license and you’re ready to start your own real estate agency.

5. Mobility Tech

Nope, we’re not talking about cellphones but about technology that enables autonomous vehicles. This is an exciting space because it allows for creativity and startups have the potential of partnering with bigger industries or acquisition by major players.

6. Pet Care

The busy lifestyle of many people has opened up the new industry of pet care. According to IBISWorld, revenue in the United States for pet grooming and boarding is nearly $8 billion and is expected to grow 7% annually through 2021.

7. Legal Services

Just like accounting, it has low operating costs and it’s a service many people need. Anybody who has ever hired a lawyer knows that it isn’t cheap. However, the need does not only refer to lawyers. Legal services include notaries, settlement officers (for transaction of securities) and search agents in real estate. Legal services enjoy repeat clients.

8. Computer Vision

Technology is very fast growing and diverse. Another field that has opened up recently is computer vision which basically deals with artificial intelligence that works to act and interpret visual data. The technology generated $522 million and 69 deals in just 2016 alone. Developments can be applied to child development, social media networking and web analytics.

9. E-Commerce

As personal disposable income continues to rise, so will e-commerce. It’s more convenient not only to shop online but to do business too. E-commerce has low barriers of entry. To increase your success in a market that is easily saturated, you need to focus on customers, build a relationship of trust and to deliver products or services quickly.

10. Home and Building Maintenance

This is another very broad industry. It covers lawn and garden care, pest control and cleaning. Players can cover houses, offices, warehouses or just about anybody who needs care and maintenance. According to Sageworks, the industry saw a 13% increase in sales last year. The business is easy to start because of low upfront business cost, does not require inventory, large staff or office space.

Starting a business is risky but it can also be a great adventure that can lead to your success. Determine your individual skill to find out which industry will give you the best chance to succeed.

10 Benefits Of Working In Co-working Spaces

Virtual Office Spaces and Co-working Spaces is the place to be for startups and budding entrepreneurs. Increasingly however, more established companies and professional service providers are viewing this type of space as part of their business needs. Whether it is as a satellite office or an alternative to fixed office space and the associate overheads, the flexibility and lower level of commitment involved, combined with our growing ability to run a business from our laptops, makes this business tool increasingly attractive for everyone. Another growing trend is that these types of facilities are popping up outside the traditional downtown locations and are now serving the needs of people who do their business in or from the burbs. Yes, suburbans can be cool too! Let’s examine some of the advantages:

1. Cost

You only pay for what you use. Let’s face it. How much time do you need to be in an office anyway? Why go to the expense of renting or leasing dedicated space when you only absolutely need it for perhaps 10-20 hours per week? Oh, and then there’s the cost of furniture, phone lines, Wi-Fi, printer, coffee, electricity, heating, cleaning, etc.

2. Low Commitment

No long-term leases involved. Most places will allow you to just give 30 days notice. Ever enter into a three-year lease and realize after 6 months you don’t really want to be there or it’s now too small for your needs? If you think your new business is going to grow quickly, consider virtual office space for a while until things settle down.

4. Administration

5. Flexibility

You book the room size you need when you need it. You now have access to meeting rooms, conference rooms, workshop rooms, interview rooms, reception space, kitchens, etc. You typically also have 24/7 access. If you have a virtual business team, you can elect to all meet physically from time to time to keep up the camaraderie and help develop your unique company culture.

6. Professionalism

No more meeting clients at Starbucks, no more using your home as your business address. There is also a sense that you are ready for the next bold step when you join co-working spaces. It’s a chance to turn over a new leaf in your entrepreneurial life

7. Community

You don’t have to feel isolated at home with the dog and a great business idea. Hang out with other like-minded people who are experiencing the same issues and challenges as you. Each member may know hundreds of other people. Most locations have a continuous calendar of events and useful workshops. These act as an opportunity to network and learn. Most importantly is the opportunity to work with amazing people who are prepared to share their greatest triumphs and greatest fears, people who are open to new ideas and always ready to give back more than they receive. That is the power of co-working and the energy that drives it forward.

8. Pool of Expertise

You will bump into people who know things you don’t know, people you can leverage to solve your problems. These are people who have made mistakes and learned from them. They will be able to give you tips and you will find yourself closer to the bleeding edge of technology adoption and the latest marketing techniques. There’s the opportunity to get to know about the latest gizmo or trend or just an easier or more cost effective way to get something done. “Hey have you seen this app? Did you know this platform integrates with Quickbooks? What do you use to manage your contacts?” These are the kind of quick conversations you won’t be having in your home office anytime too soon!

9. Collaboration and Referrals

If you are willing to make an effort you will get to know many people at co-working spaces. The people you meet are invariably only too happy to help out and this often means referrals. We have seen businesses double their sales within months of joining our community. Word of warning, get to know people socially as well as professionally.

10. Adventure

You just don’t know what is going to happen. Certainly, being in co-working spaces give you a heightened chance of meeting the perfect connection, attending a direction-changing workshop or just meeting new friends. It beats sitting at home looking at the dishes!